Precious sword, year mark 1949, 1st choice. A 1221. design: 1931. ESSER, Max(1885 Barth - 1945 Berlin)

Böttger stoneware. H 25.5 cm.

"As a master student of August Gaul, Esser led his line of true-to-life animal sculpture to greater unity and rigor. The expressive model of the fish sitting on a rock pedestal in an The expressive model of the otter sitting almost upright on a rocky base is depicted in a state of high tension. The body is twisted in a spiral, head and tail pointing in opposite directions. Large, smooth surfaces are skillfully contrasted with stylized, extremely delicately worked details. By dispensing with colorful painting, the figure's concentration lies solely in its formal design. The "Otter" sculpture was awarded a Grand Prix at the 1937 World Exhibition in Paris. An earlier design (model number A 1128, height 42 cm) is also known, although the animal is set on a flat profiled base. The model of the otter was also executed in bronze. (Petra Werner, in: Catalog: Auf der Pirsch - Jagdbare Tiere in Porzellan, Porzellanikon (vol. 117), Hohenberg a.d. Eger 2015, p. 59/cat. no. 59).

Provenance : German private collection.